The Universe Conspires
by Elina Crox
Summary: DISCONTINUED/Tomoyo decides to study in England for college but unexpected events hinder her to move there. With no time left she enrolls in Tomoeda University instead where she encounters lots of surprises.
1. Chapter 1: A Change of Paths

**Title:** The Universe Conspires  
**Pairing:** Tomoyo Daidouji / Eriol Hiiragizawa  
**Date Started:** August 22, 2007  
**Fan Fiction By:** Huang Yi Li

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_**Disclaimer:** Card Captor Sakura (CCS) belongs to CLAMP. All characters related to Card Captor Sakura do not belong to me. _

_**Warning:** Tomoyo is mostly out-of-character. I tried as much as possible keep the other characters' personalities intact and some facts straight but I may alter some without noticing since I am not very familiar with all CCS episodes and the manga. This is not a canon fic either._

(**Edit: **There, there. I edited some facts I did not know. But still, the story remains the same. Thank you very much for the information, nitpicks! It is much appreciated.)

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Fate does not control us. It only shows the way. We have to walk its path to reach it. And that is what a girl did...

**Chapter 1**  
_A Change of Paths_

  
A six-door black limousine stopped just right in front of the Tomoeda International Airport entrance. A man in black suit with matching black shades stepped out of the sleek car and checked the surrounding. Confirming it was safe, the man then turned to open the door for a beautiful woman wearing flared jeans and lilac puff-sleeved blouse. The wind caressed her soft raven tresses hanging loosely just above the small of her back, each side adorned with thin braids tied with white silk ribbons.

It was clear to everyone there that the woman who just came out of the limousine was actually the daughter of the owner of the leading toys manufacturer company in Tomoeda, Sonomi Daidouji. Even if she were not a popular figure among the crowd, Eighteen-year-old Tomoyo would still have made a number of male heads turned to her direction with the incomparable beauty she possessed.

Tomoyo did not really mind the attention given to her by the people in the airport but she wished they would not bother to turn to her direction and watch her walk past them as though she were some famous actress. She could have had a more discreet entrance without the bodyguards. Her mother insisted on having them tag along just in case unexpected incidents happen.

Accompanied by two bodyguards, Tomoyo directly went to the check-in counter. One of the bodyguards checked in Tomoyo's huge luggage so they need not to carry it around while waiting for departure.

--

"Suppi-chan! We're finally in Tomoeda again! I can be together again with my beloved Touya-chan! I can..."

Spinel Sun struggled in the tight embrace of the annoying female form of the Moon Guardian. Nakuru was endlessly talking about the things she would do now that they were in Tomoeda once again while waiting for their baggage. Spinel protested to accompany Nakuru to do the small task but the Moon Guardian already dragged the little critter with her while it was still explaining the pointlessness of its tagging along.

Eriol Hiiragizawa merely shook his head as he watched his two guardians "bonding" at a distance. He smirked at the thought that had just popped into his mind. 'Those two never really get along.'

In an instant, Eriol's cell phone rang. Pulling out the mobile device from his pocket, he checked the screen to see who was calling. It was Kaho Mizuki. He immediately pressed the answer key and greeted, "Hello, Kaho."

"Eriol! I just called to check up on you."

"I'm fine here. Don't worry."

"That's good to hear then! I hope you'll be fine there while I finish things here. I'll follow as soon as I'm done with this job here, OK?"

"Sure. I'll wait for your arrival."

"Anyway, I have to go. The meeting will start soon. I'll call you later. Bye! Take care!"

"Take care, too."

With that, Kaho hung up the phone. Eriol replaced his cell phone in his pocket when Spinel and Nakuru returned. Nakuru was already carrying their baggage, most of which were hers since she could not decide which things to bring and which ones to leave; so, she just brought them all with her instead. Spinel was just hovering above her carrying nothing at all.

"I told you I would be of no use." The Sun Guardian finally said.

"But you kept me company and that's what matters!" Nakuru replied cheerily.

"Thanks, Nakuru. Let me handle my own luggage." Eriol got a dark blue travel bag with small wheels underneath and pulled it by himself.

"Eriol-kun is such a gentleman! Ahh..." Nakuru sighed dreamily making Spinel fake a cough while they made their way to the exit.

--

"I'll be alright, Mom. And I'm sure with my decision." Tomoyo reassured her mother on her cell phone.

"OK then, dear. I have to go now. I'm going to have a board meeting in a few minutes. Take care now and have a nice trip!"

"Thanks, Mom! Take care, too." Tomoyo hung up and returned her cell phone in her handbag. She picked up her glass of orange juice and took a quick sip on the bendable straw.

She would finally be on her own. In another country. Well, almost. Her bodyguards would still be around but technically, she would be away from her family. From her mother, especially. She decided to take up Music in the University of Cambridge in England in the hopes of becoming a successful songstress someday. She also hoped to find someone she considered a friend in her elementary days. Someone who changed Sakura's life and hers as well, along with a few people who were connected to them. Eriol Hiiragizawa: a reincarnation of Clow Reed, the one and only creator of the Clow Cards. The man she had slowly grown to love over time and distance.

Tomoyo did not realize it at first since she was obsessed with Sakura Kinomoto, her cousin and best friend, until Li Syaoran came into Sakura's life. She even helped them both to admit their love for each other. Still, she and Sakura remained as best friends and even share some time together especially on special occasions. But it was never the same.

As for Eriol, Tomoyo did not really think of him as someone who she can love more than a friend, but she enjoyed being with him. His witty remarks, mischievous plans in teasing Syaoran, his interest in books, his abundant knowledge...he amused her in every aspect imaginable and feasible. She knew about his relationship with Kaho Mizuki, their substitute teacher one time in Tomoeda Elementary. Even so, she is still hopeful for Eriol to reciprocate her newfound love for him, if ever they would meet in England.

'If only he didn't leave for England--'

"Ms. Daidouji, we have to get out of here as soon as possible. Something unexpected is going on and they have cancelled all flights. We must hurry out!" Tomoyo's thoughts were interrupted when one of her bodyguards warned her.

"Why? What happened?" Tomoyo asked, still a bit unaware of what was going on.

"A group of robbers have infiltrated the international airport and--"

The screams of the people signified danger was near. This startled Tomoyo and made the bodyguards alert. They had to leave as soon as possible.

With the two guards covering Tomoyo in each side as they ran, they were lucky enough not to bump in any of the robbers and made it out of the international airport alive.

The Daidouji limousine arrived as soon as they were outside. The bodyguards still covered Tomoyo as she stepped in the limousine and both hurried in as well. The driver then sped out of the airport hoping no one was following them. He only slowed down when he was certain that no one was trailing behind. Everyone inside regained their composure.

Watching outside through the car window, Tomoyo sighed as a thought came to mind. 'I guess it wasn't meant to be...'

"Ms. Daidouji?" One of the bodyguards called for her attention.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to reschedule your flight? As for your luggage, we will retrieve it as soon as possible."

"Thank you. And yes, I would like to have my flight rescheduled."

'Hiiragizawa-kun...'

--

"Home at last!" Nakuru joyfully exclaimed as she ran upstairs to put her baggage in her room. A loud thud echoed through the Clow Reed Mansion and in an instant, Nakuru was back downstairs heading to the kitchen. "I need food. I'm hungry!"

Spinel Sun, glad that Nakuru was occupied with other things, immediately flew to the nearest couch which was in the living room and plopped down on one of the throw pillows. "Finally, some rest."

Eriol merely walked upstairs still pulling his luggage and went in his room. He just left the travel bag in a corner then went down to his library. He had missed the wealth of information the big room stored.

He remembered bringing Tomoyo in there once when they worked on songs for a musical play his talented friend was in. He only had a quick visit in Tomoeda that time and she was quick to ask help from him knowing he was the best composer she could ever find. Together they worked on each piece carefully. He even had to offer her dinner once since they stayed up late just to finish and polish the pieces before the deadline. He had fun working with her. His only regret was that he was not able to watch her perform on the night the musical play was to be presented. He had to return to England immediately for important matters.

'She had an angel's voice...'

"Eriol-kun! There's no food in the kitchen! We've been robbed!" Nakuru wailed as she broke in the library without warning interrupting Eriol's thoughts and startling him as well.

"Nakuru, we've been away for too long. Surely there would be no food left." Eriol explained.

Spinel Sun came in flying towards its master just in time to induce some sarcasm in the conversation. "At least now you will spend more time appreciating your bed rather than running around freely in the wilderness."

"But food is my life!" Nakuru sobbed some more causing Eriol to sigh; Spinel just ignored Nakuru while looking for a book to read.

"Alright, alright. Let's go do some groceries." Eriol announced. Nakuru's face suddenly brightened up. Spinel gasped.

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**Author's Notes:** I hope you enjoy such a short opening chapter. I promise to write more for the following chapters. Hehe! Please leave a comment or two so I would know how this story is doing. Thanks in advance! 


	2. Chapter 2: Hanging on the Thread of Fate

**Title:** The Universe Conspires  
**Date Updated:** September 08, 2007  
**Fan Fiction By:** Huang Yi Li

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_Standard disclaimers and warning applied.  
_

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**Chapter 2**  
_Hanging on the Thread of Fate_

"I'm sorry ma'am but all the flights to England for next week are fully booked."

Tomoyo Daidouji sighed as she put down the phone. She could not believe there was not even a single available seat in any of the flights next week. She only had that week left to travel to England before classes start. If the incident at the Tomoeda International Airport did not happen, she would have been getting accustomed to the English ambiance, shopping authentic English clothes and sipping tea in a relaxing, colorful garden she had read from romance novels set in England.

But, it had to happen. As to how, she did not know.

Lying on her bed, a pillow underneath her folded arms, Tomoyo reviewed the recent events trying to figure out suspicious elements. Somehow, she sensed some conspiracy was going on but she gave up on the thought when she could not find any proof of such. 'Maybe I'm just paranoid or something.'

After a while, she gave up on it and got up from the bed. It was almost ten in the morning and her favorite bookshop would be open soon. She needed to buy the next volume of a certain fashion magazine she had been collecting for a year already. She also planned to drop by Twin Bells to buy a matching cell phone charms for Sakura and herself. They saw those cute wing-shaped charms one day and decided they will both have each of the pair.

Tomoyo made her way to her bathroom still wearing her white nightgown. As expected from a Daidouji, it was huge and elegant even if it was only used for cleaning and the like. She opened the faucet to fill up the tub with lukewarm water. A bottle in hand, she poured in some sort of fragrant soap gel and stirred the water a bit to produce bubbles. Contented, she took off the only clothing she was wearing and gently dipped her foot in the bubble-covered water. When she was completely in the tub, she relaxed and took a deep breath with closed eyes enjoying the luxurious scent of roses.

--

Eriol Hiiragizawa took a sip on his cup of brewed coffee. As usual, he was sitting in his library, a book on his lap. Spinel Sun lay on the armrest waiting for Eriol to flip the page of the book they were reading. Both were relieved somehow that Nakuru went out early. She said she wanted to be the first in line for the opening of a new boutique in order to avail of the prices they were giving out to the early birds. Spinel was thankful for finally having some peace inside the mansion.

Eriol flipped the page of the book and began to read again. Reading had always been his favorite pastime. For the past few days he got in touch again with the books he left in the mansion. He was not alone at all. He was with one of his creations, Spinel Sun, who happened to also find interest in books. The creature never failed to amuse Eriol with its witty remarks.

Together they read in his favorite spot, learning more and more about the world and its growing discoveries. But somehow, reading about worldly matters everyday of his life made him lose interest in them. They cannot offer him something more than the physical. He wanted something more. Something like magic. The Clow Reed in him desired to use magic again to create things.

"I'm hooome!" A familiar girl hollered from the main door of the mansion. Both Eriol and Spinel knew who it was.

"My quiet relaxation is short-lived." Spinel remarked. Eriol had to smirk at that.

"Eriol-kun! Suppi-chan! Look at all the clothes I bought! Aren't they adorable?" Nakuru Akizuki busted in the library carrying loads of shopping bags then dropped them on the floor. She sat down to open some of the bags to pull out some of the clothes and showed them off. "I also got freebies for being the first customer!" She added enthusiastically.

"That's nice, Nakuru." Eriol smiled at Nakuru just to be nice to her. Spinel merely ignored showing obvious disinterest and just kept reading.

"Oh, by the way, here's your credit card, Eriol-kun. Thank you very much for lending it to me!" Nakuru handed back the credit card to its rightful owner then gave his creator a hug. Although she overdid her showing of appreciation for him, Eriol could feel the sincerity from his Moon Guardian, which is something he had always admired.

"OK, I'm off to arrange these in my closet! I'll be back later!" With that, Nakuru left the library leaving the two bookworms to be at peace with their reading session once more.

"That could take a while."

Eriol laughed. He also agreed to another of Spinel's remarks. "Haha! Indeed, Spinel."

--

"Hmm... Maybe I could try this book." Tomoyo said to herself as she scanned a new historical romance novel book. She was not a fan of these kinds of books but she read a few and found some were good. After all, she missed feeling all flushed after reading some of them; they had good plots as well.

After picking up the new volume of the fashion magazine she planned to buy, Tomoyo went to the counter to pay for her purchases. She immediately left the bookshop and walked a few blocks to Twin Bells.

Old memories seemed to flash back the moment she stepped in the shop. Although it had a bit of renovations here and there, it was still the same Twin Bells eight years ago. She still had to meet Sakura for lunch that she had no time to reminisce the past. Upon reaching the counter, Tomoyo asked Maki Matsumoto, the owner, for the pair of cell phone charms she and Sakura checked out the other day.

"Here you go, Daidouji-san. That's 1,290 yen for the pair." Maki handed Tomoyo the pink and purple wing cell phone charms. In exchange, Tomoyo gave the shop owner the money totaling to the amount mentioned.

"All right, thank you!"

--

"I finally got the wing charms, Sakura-chan! Here they are." Tomoyo showed her best friend, Sakura Kinomoto, the charms she just bought after they had made their order.

"Wow! We can finally put them on our cell phones, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura excitedly got the pink charm which Tomoyo handed her. She then attached it to her cell phone she was holding in her right hand.

"Indeed, Sakura-chan. We'll be friends forever."

"Sorry for being late, by the way." Sakura apologized even though she knew it would not matter to her best friend.

"It's alright, Sakura-chan. How's Li-kun, by the way?" Tomoyo asked.

"He's fine! He's going to be back here a next week. He said we're going to enjoy the rest of the summer together." Sakura replied with enthusiasm.

"That's great! Li-kun's not bad for a boyfriend after all."

"Haha! Yeah... So, were you able to make a reservation?" This time, it was Sakura's turn to ask.

"No. They said the flights to England for next week are all fully booked." Tomoyo replied, disappointment evident in her face.

"What?! But that's impossible! I mean... that has never happened before."

"Exactly. But then, anything can happen. Who knows? A lot of people suddenly want to go to England. It is after all a nice place. I've seen some pics on the net." Tomoyo explained.

"You're right..."

"Besides, I can always study here in Tomoeda." Tomoyo smiled at Sakura. She was still very optimistic despite the fact that she might really not be able to go to England in time.

"In that case, you can enroll in Tomoeda University! Syaoran-kun and I are going to study there."

"Nice! We can be together too."

"Right!"

Their conversation was interrupted when the waiter arrived with their orders. Both ordered special noodles and orange juice. The waiter excused himself when he placed each bowl of noodles before Sakura and Tomoyo. He then placed each glass of orange juice at the upper right side of the bowls of noodles. "Enjoy you meal."

"Thank you." Both replied in unison.

"Alright, Tomoyo-chan! Let's eat!"

--

Lunch time was a short period. After eating lunch, Sakura and Tomoyo went to an ice cream parlor and had the sweetest of desserts. They only bought from that place and immediately left. Still eating the parfaits, they decided to watch a movie. It was one of those times they could bond together forgetting all the worries they have and just enjoy each other's company. Tomoyo would cherish this day. She would miss this when she flies to England. If she can, that is.

While the girls were watching a movie, Touya Kinomoto had to take care of the house. He was not entirely alone since Keroberos was up in her sister's room taking a nap but in terms of family members, he was. Their father, Fujitaka Kinomoto, went out to work.

Touya was preparing a snack for himself when the doorbell rang. Before he left the kitchen, he put some bread in the toaster and turned it on. He also placed the sliced hams and cheese on a plate then went out. "Coming!"

Nakuru touched up herself while waiting outside. She was somehow expecting that Touya would open the door for her. When the door swung open inwards, Nakuru gasped when she finally saw him again. He was always handsome in her eyes and just the mere sight of him again made her cheeks flush red. "Touya-kun! It's you!"

"Nakuru?" Touya was surprised to see her. He did not know how on earth she came back here in Tomoeda but he was not really just seeing things.

"Oh my, Touya-kun! I missed you so much!" Nakuru suddenly hugged Touya the way she always used to. "It's been a long time since I last saw you. I hope you still don't have a girlfriend."

Touya freaked out but he could not remove the clingy girl from him because she had the grip of a grizzly bear. She may be a Moon Guardian, a well-respected being, but her human form is just too much. He would have waken up Kero and made the little critter open the door had he known Nakuru was there. Such an unfortunate day for him.

"So, how are you my Touya-kun?" Nakuru asked cheerfully.

"I can't breathe!" Touya blurted out.

"Oh, sorry." Nakuru released him for a while. "There you go, Touya-kun!"

"Ugh... thank you. What brings you here anyway?" After relaxing, Touya asked without answering her previous question.

"I came here to see you, Touya-kun!" Nakuru replied excitedly and was about to give Touya another hug but he stopped her.

"I see. Are you with anybody else?"

"No-I mean yes. I'm with Eriol-kun and Suppi-chan. But don't tell anyone about this yet. Eriol-kun said so but I don't know why." Nakuru explained.

"I see."

"Mmm... I smell something toasting in the kitchen! Are you preparing snacks for us, Touya-kun? That's so gentlemanly of you!"

"Uhh... not really. I didn't know you're coming but-"

"Wow! I'm impressed! Let's go eat, Touya-kun!" Nakuru went straight to the kitchen without asking further questions.

"Nakuru! Wait!"

--

It was almost seven in the evening when Tomoyo brought Sakura home. The limousine stopped just in front of the Kinomoto house then Sakura and Tomoyo stepped out. Both walked to the front door and said their goodbyes.

"Thanks a lot, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura gave Tomoyo a big hug. "If you're really going to England soon, I'm going to miss you." Her eyes filled up with a pool of tears but she tried to prevent it them from rolling down her cheeks.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. You have Li-kun with you. Thank you also for the wonderful time." Tomoyo would have had teary eyes as well but she did not want to let Sakura see her cry. "We can still see each other next time! I won't be staying in England all the time." She tried to cheer up Sakura.

"Right, right. You'll visit us here." Sakura wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and smiled at Tomoyo.

"That's the spirit!"

"You're the best, Tomoyo-chan! I better go in now. It's getting late."

"Right. I have dinner with my mom."

"Bye, Tomoyo-chan! Take care!" Sakura waved at Tomoyo while watching her walk back to the limousine.

"You too, Sakura-chan."

With that, Tomoyo went in the car. She sat quietly and thought about the day she had. She also reconsidered going to England. She still had time left so she could still try. She had to fulfill her dream no matter what. If all else fails, she had to enroll here in Tomoeda. She could still fulfill her dream of becoming a professional singer and just chase her other dream later in life.

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**Author's Notes:** Finally, an update! I hope you enjoy this one. Please leave comments. If you're against the Tomoyo/Eriol pairing, please do not put it in your comment. I need constructive criticism more on the development of the story rather than the characters' backgrounds. Thank you. 


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